Stripe & Stare: Redefining Comfort in Women’s Underwear

What the Project Is

Stripe & Stare is a revolutionary force in the apparel industry—a brand that started from the bottom up with one simple question: why is there no cool, ultra comfortable knicker for women to wear every day? Born from the creative spark of Katie, a determined female founder with a strong urge for comfort and sustainability, this British brand has spent six dedicated years redefining everyday underwear. The mission was straightforward yet bold: create the world’s most comfortable and sustainable knicker, crafted by women for women. This is not just about underwear; it’s about rethinking fashion essentials and sleepwear through the lens of modern, independent women who value comfort, style, and a touch of playful rebellion in their everyday lives.

Main Benefit

The primary benefit of Stripe & Stare lies in its commitment to superior quality and innovation, featuring:

• Perfect cut – no riding up or unwanted movement on the body.
• Ingenious flatlock stitching that ensures no unsightly lines or visible panty lines (VPL).
• Twice as soft as cotton, making it ideal for sensitive skin—with TENCEL™ being gentle enough for newborn baby clothing.
• Breathable and antibacterial properties, ensuring all-day comfort whether in everyday life or while relaxing.
• All TENCEL™ Modal fibres are biodegradable, meaning that the sustainable journey continues until the knickers can be composted (just remember to cut the lace off first).

The Birth of a Revolution

The story begins with Katie questioning why there was no knicker that could make women feel as if they were wearing nothing at all—so comfortable that one might forget they’re even wearing them. With an unwavering commitment and a playful spirit, the brand emerged from a desire to break away from the chosen extremes of ultra sexy or ultra frumpy. After six years of starting conversations across the globe, discovering the best fabrics, and meeting reliable producers, the foundations of the brand were set with the innovative TENCEL™ Micro x Modal. This fabric, made sustainably in Austria from beechwood trees, absorbed the world with its promise of being three times softer than cotton and maintaining breathability reminiscent of fresh air in a lush forest. It’s a story of female founder strength and the dedication to delivering a truly remarkable undergarment.

Sustainable Fashion Essentials

At its core, Stripe & Stare is about sustainable fashion essentials that resonate with modern women. The brand’s focus on sustainability isn’t just a trend—it’s a commitment. TENCEL™ Micro x Modal, derived from responsibly managed resources, highlights a vision where fashion meets environmental responsibility. Every piece, from underwear to sleepwear, is thoughtfully created to support a lifestyle that values both style and planet-friendly practices. The drive for sustainable production is part of the broader narrative of fashion that empowers women and promotes ethical consumer habits, ensuring that every stitch and fabric choice reflects a dedication to doing the right and smart thing.

Comfort Meets Style in Underwear and Sleepwear

The striking combination of comfort and style is perfectly showcased in the design of these knickers, loungewear, and sleepwear. This female-founded brand, born in London and grown in the South-West countryside of the UK, defies conventional expectations. It is too fun for frumpy underpants and too busy to settle for anything less than comfort that supports a woman throughout her day. Lovers of bold colours, interesting prints, and authentic self-expression find in these pieces a celebration of individuality where the comfort speaks louder than labels. Briefs? Panties? Knickers? Undies? The choice of words may vary, but the quality and comfort remain unmistakably true.

The Spirit of Empowerment

More than a clothing line, Stripe & Stare embodies the spirit of empowerment. With a background enriched by the values of independence and playfulness, the brand champions the notion that great things are achieved when comfort is at the forefront. The company is rife with the celebration of unapologetic women who show up every day in their power, making choices that reflect both care for the self and the environment. This approach extends to every facet of the business, from fabric selection to production practices, highlighting a clear path toward a future where every woman feels supported and celebrated in her own unique style.

Project Impact & SDGs

• SDG 5: Gender Equality – Supporting female-led initiatives and celebrating unapologetic womanhood.
• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production – Employing sustainable materials like TENCEL™ Modal and reducing environmental impact.
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities – Empowering female entrepreneurs and ensuring diverse voices are heard.
• SDG 13: Climate Action – Adopting eco-friendly practices in fabric production and lifecycle management of garments.

An Inspiring Future for Female-Led Fashion

Stripe & Stare’s story is as refreshing as it is empowering—an inspiring narrative of transforming the everyday into an extraordinary journey of comfort and style. The launch of the S&S Foundation is a natural extension of this mission, a no-cost bespoke mentoring program designed to help female-led businesses thrive. Recognizing that if women started and scaled businesses at the same rate as men, it could add billions to the UK economy, the foundation is committed to banishing the isolation that often comes with leadership. Through this initiative, the brand exemplifies the commitment to lifting women up, ensuring that each decision, each product, and each mentoring session contributes to a future where female-led fashion and business continue to break boundaries effortlessly…

What Stripe & Stare actually does

Stripe & Stare makes women’s underwear, bras, and loungewear from TENCEL Modal, a fibre made from beech-tree cellulose rather than cotton or synthetic materials. The company was founded in 2017 by Katie Lopes and Nicola Piercy from a farmhouse in Devon, built around the idea that everyday underwear could be made from a lower-impact material without giving up comfort.

“Only 2% of underwear is sustainably sourced.”

Katie & Nicola, Founders, Stripe & Stare

Where TENCEL Modal shows up

• Everyday underwear: knickers and bras designed to replace cotton and synthetic basics.
• Loungewear and pyjamas: the same fibre extended into sleepwear.
• Press and media: featured in Vogue and Grazia as a UK sustainable-fashion brand to watch.

Proof, not just claims

Stripe & Stare is a Certified B Corporation. Its TENCEL Modal fibre is also described as biodegradable, extending the sustainability case beyond how the fabric is made to how it eventually breaks down.

Why this belongs on a sustainability directory

Stripe & Stare’s SDG12 case is the fibre switch itself: replacing a water-intensive crop input (cotton) with a wood-cellulose fibre produced with a largely closed-loop water process. Its SDG5 case comes from being a women-founded company built specifically around women’s comfort and bodies, and its SDG8 case from B Corp certification, which audits labour and governance practices alongside environmental ones.